A legendary climber of the Rocky Mountains' sheer crags pauses in a majestic pose on Canada Post's newest large-format, high-value definitive stamp. Valued at $4, this eye-catching Bighorn stamp is part of an ongoing Canadian wildlife series. Produced by a combination of lithography and intaglio, the stamp was designed and engraved by Jorge Peral with illustration provided by his son, Rodrigo Peral.
“Every artist has different goals. I love to make something that the public can appreciate with the bare eye,” said the elder Peral, who added one of the biggest challenges in creating an intaglio stamp is finding the right level of detail.
The Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep is famous for its remarkable agility on steep slopes as it mainly lives on the grasslands and rugged terrain of the Rocky Mountains. This kind of sheep can be easily recognized by the massive, curled horns of the males that serve as a status symbol in the herd, and are used for long, loud head-banging clashes that establish dominance and mating rights. Unfortunately, the number of the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep has been recently reduced due to the various factors such as overhunting and diseases. Although the conservation efforts have helped to increase the population, the bighorn sheep is designated of "special concern" in British Columbia.
See also the extensive range of other beautiful wildlife stamps.
